Patent · US Active

Automatic blade slope control system

US8738242B2 · kind B2 · utility

20Cited by
18References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 21, 2011
Grant dateMay 27, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 21, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
  • CPC primaryE01C19/004
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

The slope angle of a blade on an earthmoving machine is automatically controlled based on measurements from a three-axis gyroscope, a blade slope angle tilt sensor, and a blade tip angle tilt sensor mounted on the blade. A three-axis gyroscope has high dynamic response and high resistance to mechanical disturbances but is subject to potentially unbounded errors. A tilt sensor has bounded errors but has a slow dynamic response and a high sensitivity to mechanical disturbances. The combination of a three-axis gyroscope and two tilt sensors provides an advantageous measurement system. Algorithms for performing proper fusion of the measurements account for the lack of synchronization between the three-axis gyroscope and the tilt sensors and also screen out invalid measurements from the tilt sensors. The blade slope angle is controlled based on a reference blade slope angle and an estimate of the blade slope angle computed from properly fused measurements.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.